'Are you doing what you can to reduce your impact on the environment?' This is the question that the East of England Development Agency is asking its key partners, businesses and local communities in the region at the launch of Offsite 07 today which showcases the most carbon neutral house not only in the UK but the world.
The East of England as a region has the biggest carbon footprint in the country and only by working together to create solutions can this be reduced. Offsite 07, a 4 day event co-hosted by the East of England Development Agency (EEDA) and the Building Research Establishment (BRE) shows some of those solutions. It is the official showcase event of 6 houses and a school which demonstrates how modern methods of construction and advanced technologies together can deliver higher performing low carbon buildings.
Richard Ellis, chairman of EEDA and lead chair of the Regional Development Agencies on climate change said:
"We are already having a big impact on the environment to accommodate the way that we are accustomed to living. We are also the fastest growing region in the country which means that these impacts will increase unless we take proactive action to build sustainability into new buildings.
"Offsite 2007 shows us a way forward, and some of the solutions. EEDA and BRE are working together on a number of projects designed to promote innovation and sustainability in construction, raise skills and encourage and support businesses to make the most of this opportunity. We need to learn the lessons from the projects here including the carbon neutral buildings. More importantly we need our partners to work with us on the solutions, across the region and the country. It is EEDA's role to invest funding and resources strategically and use its influence at the right levels at the right time and in the right way."
The RDAs are supporting businesses to enhance their resource efficiency through the new Business Resource Efficiency Advice Service, which will provide real cost savings for each business. As well as this RDAs are helping businesses to innovate by supporting networks and innovation hubs to share best practice and ideas.
Richard adds:
"Sustainable economic development is at the heart of the Regional Development Agencies mission. The key challenge is to plan for and manage this growth in areas of economic success where it will, no doubt, lead to huge pressure on our resources and infrastructure.
The East of England needs to build over 500,000 new homes in the next fifteen years in order to meet demand. This growth, coupled with climate change impacts, means that designing and building modern, efficient buildings is essential. EEDA is working in partnership with BRE to lead the way in sustainable design, advancing new low carbon technologies and spreading best practice in construction across the English regions.
"It is not just the new buildings we need to consider. There are around 2.3 million existing dwellings, many of which are old and inefficient, that need refurbishing. Practically we know there is a challenge to try and make older homes energy efficient. We have put over half a million pounds towards the refurbishment of a Victorian stable block to show that refurbishment can be done in a sustainable way along with an exemplar study to show how to successfully renovate older buildings using tradition materials but in a sustainable way."
amenity
This seems to be on the right track, Ivan.
ivan burit
Is it only me that watches Col. Dick Strawbridge on TV in his "its not easy being green" programme.
I find it amusing....His comical manner easily comes across with his great ideas about energy conservation.
Most of his ideas and energy saving actions really work, for little input really, sometimes a bit of hard work at first, with the preperation, then when its all task completed, just sit back and watch yourselves save money.....i like that term -- save money.....
Not only do you, me, us, save money when we "GO GREEN" but we help to save our world........
It might be only just a little bit, but little bits all ad up....
For an example.....
If you had a hole in your pocket, and your pocket was filled with 1p coins..(2p coins now..lol.) and you walked miles and miles dropping coins out of your pocket that leaked money, you could say, its only a penny, but its only a penny at a time, and as you walked, that penny was lost, then another, then another, then another........
So after losing just one penny at first, you end up losing pounds, then 10`s of pounds, then 100`s of pounds.......it goes on and on........
So Energy saving, or Going Green is a bit like that, but in reverse......
Save 1 penny at first, then 2 pennies and so on.........
I really like the idea of using used and unwanted cooking oils, and converting it to BIO Diesel for your car...........No body wanted all that used oil, but now, we are all after it............ITS FREE..............
Another thing thats FREE is wind and sun for powering your homes......
OK, at first, the idea of siting a small wind generator on or near your home may not seem a "good idea".....but its like them pennies being lost out of your pocket----in reverse of course...
Then we have Solar powered heating systems......its FREE.......
I do like that word..FREE.....well after the instalation costs anyway....
I live close to one of the driest parts in the country....FACT....
So, we must get good solar energy just wasting away............It can and should be harnessed to give FREE heating for hot water..........
Then we have FREE water, well its free when it rains.......So why not have efficient rain water collection systems built onto your house to collect this clean, FREE water, collected into large underground tanks on each home to use as needed...
OK, you might have to run it through a simple filter before being able to use it for flushing, doing laundry etc....but thats quite simple really, more so if you had it built into a new build home..
In fact, most of my ideas can all be built into new build homes, so the question is then, why not build it into new build homes.......
If we really cared about our envirnment, we should charge house builders for NOT putting into new build homes, thats if we really CARE about our environment...
Your replies please..................
ivan burit
ivan burit wrote:
Is it only me that watches Col. Dick Strawbridge on TV in his "its not easy being green" programme.
I find it amusing....His comical manner easily comes across with his great ideas about energy conservation.
Most of his ideas and energy saving actions really work, for little input really, sometimes a bit of hard work at first, with the preperation, then when its all task completed, just sit back and watch yourselves save money.....i like that term -- save money.....
Not only do you, me, us, save money when we "GO GREEN" but we help to save our world........
It might be only just a little bit, but little bits all ad up....
For an example.....
If you had a hole in your pocket, and your pocket was filled with 1p coins..(2p coins now..lol.) and you walked miles and miles dropping coins out of your pocket that leaked money, you could say, its only a penny, but its only a penny at a time, and as you walked, that penny was lost, then another, then another, then another........
So after losing just one penny at first, you end up losing pounds, then 10`s of pounds, then 100`s of pounds.......it goes on and on........
So Energy saving, or Going Green is a bit like that, but in reverse......
Save 1 penny at first, then 2 pennies and so on.........
I really like the idea of using used and unwanted cooking oils, and converting it to BIO Diesel for your car...........No body wanted all that used oil, but now, we are all after it............ITS FREE..............
Another thing thats FREE is wind and sun for powering your homes......
OK, at first, the idea of siting a small wind generator on or near your home may not seem a "good idea".....but its like them pennies being lost out of your pocket----in reverse of course...
Then we have Solar powered heating systems......its FREE.......
I do like that word..FREE.....well after the instalation costs anyway....
I live close to one of the driest parts in the country....FACT....
So, we must get good solar energy just wasting away............It can and should be harnessed to give FREE heating for hot water..........
Then we have FREE water, well its free when it rains.......So why not have efficient rain water collection systems built onto your house to collect this clean, FREE water, collected into large underground tanks on each home to use as needed...
OK, you might have to run it through a simple filter before being able to use it for flushing, doing laundry etc....or just using a watering can full for your plants,,but thats quite simple really, more so if you had it built into a new build home..
In fact, most of my ideas can all be built into new build homes, so the question is then, why not build it into new build homes.......
If we really cared about our envirnment, we should charge house builders for NOT putting into new build homes, thats if we really CARE about our environment...
Your replies please..................
amenity
Couldn't agree more Ivan if they have to pay for not following the guidlines then they would see that there is no competition problems with those that do not, so it would work.
It would provide what industry is always saying they want 'a level playing field'.
We could go further and (one of my hobby horses) prohibit any product not made under conditions that would apply if made in the UK. Level playing field.
pepsi
However, one point Ivan,
The bio diesel made from cooking oil is not completely free as I was shocked to find having watched a Trevor McDonald program on efficient car running.
Believe it or not you have to pay the chancellor duty on the free recycled oil
ivan burit
*Believe it or not you have to pay the chancellor duty on the free recycled oil*
OF COURSE YOU DO PEPSI-----------HONEST-------LOL......
OK, still smiling......On one of my sons car based web sites, "someone" has heard of plans to cease the duty payable on Bio-Diesel...(will have to investigate)...
On one of Jerremy Clarksons car based television programmes, as a trial, they drained out all the diesel from a VOLVO 740/760 turbo diesel estate, then filled it with straight used cooking oil (filtered) it started and ran, and ran, and ran, OK..
Did smell like a fish shop so i was told........lol......
A few years ago, in welsh Wales, they appeared to have run out of cheap bulk cooking oil, it seems that it was by far much cheaper than the available diesel..
OK, before we go further, yes, i do know about "waxing" of non conforming winter diesel, and the need for winter, or low temperature combustion ignition fuel to be able to stay fluid enough during cold weather, and cold weather starts.....
To diverse, many years ago, i had the job of Transport Foreman in one of the biggest borough councils this side of tower bridge...
WELL, one year it froze hard...
In its huge storage tanks, they had been filled with non winter diesel....
Most if not any diesel engined vehicles ran for weeks........
They stocks of Lucas/Cav heated diesel fuel filters were soon depleated....lol....
SO, Bio Diesel, is it a good thing or not....
I seem to think so, do you.........
